Michael Buxton
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{{Infobox academic
| name = Michael Buxton
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| nationality = Australian
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| title = Emeritus Professor
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| education = B.A., Dip. Ed., B.Ed., Ph.D.{{cite web |last1=Buxton |first1=Michael |last2=Falk |first2=Geoffrey |last3=Holdsworth |first3=Jim |last4=Scott |first4=Mike |last5=Thorne |first5=Steve |title=CHARTER 29: PLAN FOR VICTORIA AND THE PLANNING SYSTEM REFORMS |url=https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Charter-29-Planning-System-Reforms-FINAL-241115.pdf |publisher=Royal Historical Society of Victoria |access-date=26 February 2025}}
| alma_mater = Monash University
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| discipline = Urban planning
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| workplaces = RMIT University, Environment Protection Authority (Victoria), Monash University
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Michael Buxton is a former Australian urban planning academic, author and media commentator.
Career
Michael Buxton worked for 12 years in various planning and environment authorities and departments in the State Government of Victoria, including the Victorian Environmental Protection Authority.{{cite web |title=Michael Buxton |url=https://cur.org.au/people/professor-michael-buxton/ |website=cur.org.au |publisher=RMIT University Centre for Urban Research |access-date=26 February 2025}}
He joined RMIT University in 1998 and retired in 2018.{{cite news |last1=Worrall |first1=Alison |title=Respected Melbourne planning expert Michael Buxton retires from RMIT |url=https://www.domain.com.au/news/respected-melbourne-planning-expert-michael-buxton-retires-from-rmit-20180512-h0zwq1/ |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=Domain |date=12 May 2018}} His academic career focused on studying peri-urban areas of Australian cities, particularly in Victoria.{{cite book |last1=Buxton |first1=Michael |last2=Goodman |first2=Robin |last3=Moloney |first3=Susie |title=Planning Melbourne: lessons for a sustainable city |date=2016 |publisher=CSIRO Publishing |location=Clayton South |isbn=9780643104723}}{{cite book |last1=Buxton |first1=Michael |last2=Butt |first2=Andrew |title=The future of the fringe: the crisis in peri-urban planning |date=2020 |publisher=CSIRO Publishing |location=Clayton South, VIC |isbn=9781486308958}}
During this time he was and remains a frequent critic of planning policy and urban development, particularly in Melbourne in the mass media. He criticises the lack of diversity of housing styles and types and lack of long-term planning for the future of cities,{{cite news |last1=Johanson |first1=Simon |title=Developer and critic on common ground |url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/developer-and-critic-on-common-ground-20110814-1isyn.html |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=14 August 2011 |language=en}} community consultation,{{cite news |last1=Hast |first1=Mike |title=Call to fight planning changes |url=https://www.mpnews.com.au/2017/06/26/call-to-fight-planning-changes/ |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=MPNEWS |date=26 June 2017}} and lack of large-scale transport infrastructure.{{cite news |title=Melbourne major project boom ain't enough — expert |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=HSWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heraldsun.com.au%2Fnews%2Fvictoria%2Fmelbourne-infrastructure-boom-is-just-catchup-and-we-have-to-build-even-more-rmit-expert%2Fnews-story%2F0baca82bd305b7c63b8fd1b2cdea5410&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=GROUPA-Segment-1-NOSCORE |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=Herald Sun}} Buxton frequently condemns the Victorian Labor Party and its record on urban planning in the state, such as centralising control of regulations and standards and embarking on large-scale infrastructure projects such as the Suburban Rail Loop.{{cite news |last1=Buxton |first1=Michael |title=The assault, by stealth, on Melbourne's suburbs |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/the-assault-by-stealth-on-melbourne-s-suburbs-20211111-p59862.html |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=The Age |date=19 November 2021 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Buxton |first1=Michael |title=New apartments are abundant across Melbourne. Pity they don't fix our housing crisis |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/new-apartments-are-abundant-across-melbourne-pity-they-don-t-fix-our-housing-crisis-20230921-p5e6ia.html |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=The Age |date=21 September 2023 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Divided Labor must not sign further rail loop contracts |url=https://www.davidsouthwick.com.au/news/2024-06-16-divided-labor-must-not-sign-further-rail-loop-contracts |website=David Southwick MP |access-date=26 February 2025}} This included writing an open letter to voters in the state electorate of Richmond during the 2018 Victorian state election encouraging recipients to vote against then-Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne.{{cite news |last1=Preiss |first1=Adam Carey, Benjamin |title=Planning veterans call on Richmond voters to turf out Richard Wynne |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/planning-veterans-call-on-richmond-voters-to-turf-out-richard-wynne-20181119-p50gzt.html |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=The Age |date=19 November 2018 |language=en}}
He is a strong supporter of third-party appeal rights and other processes that allow existing residents to object to proposed developments and planning changes {{cite news |last1=Hayward |first1=Michael Buxton, David |title=The great housing con is turning Melbourne into an Asian-style megacity |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/the-great-housing-con-is-turning-melbourne-into-an-asian-megacity-20240806-p5jzvw.html |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=The Age |date=7 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250120095251/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/the-great-housing-con-is-turning-melbourne-into-an-asian-megacity-20240806-p5jzvw.html |archive-date=20 January 2025 |language=en}} and expressed opposition to increasing densities in various parts of Melbourne.{{cite news |title=Rallying against state's new planning rules |url=https://www.mpnews.com.au/2017/06/13/rallying-against-states-new-planning-rules/ |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=MPNEWS |date=13 June 2017}}
Bibliography
- {{cite book |last1=Buxton |first1=Michael |last2=Goodman |first2=Robin |last3=Moloney |first3=Susie |title=Planning Melbourne: lessons for a sustainable city |date=2016 |publisher=CSIRO Publishing |location=Clayton South |isbn=9780643104723}}
- {{cite book |last1=Buxton |first1=Michael |last2=Butt |first2=Andrew |title=The future of the fringe: the crisis in peri-urban planning |date=2020 |publisher=CSIRO Publishing |location=Clayton South, VIC |isbn=9781486308958}}
- {{cite book |last1=Buxton |first1=Michael |title=1964 |date=5 July 2023 |publisher=Hardie Grant Media |isbn=9781743799871}}
References
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Category:Australian urban planners
Category:Academic staff of RMIT University